Bus Tour
"Bus Tour" is the twenty-first episode of season 4 of the NBC television series Parks and Recreation. It originally premiered on May 3, 2012 to 3.35 million viewers. Storyline Thanks to her strong performance in the debate, Leslie Knope is only two points behind Bobby Newport in the City Council race. Leslie and her staff board a campaign bus to go around Pawnee and campaign hard in the final stretch, with a depressed Chris Traeger asking to do much of the busy work to distract himself. Vans rented to chauffeur elderly Leslie voters to the polls are suddenly no longer available, so Tom Haverford, Ron Swanson, and Donna Meagle head to the rental company to investigate. Andy Dwyer, acting as Leslie’s bodyguard in his Burt Macklin persona, is on high alert for the bus tour after someone tried to throw a pie at Leslie at a previous rally. The bus tour goes smoothly, but when Leslie answers a reporter's question about Nick Newport, Sr. – Bobby's father – by accusing him of buying the election and making other disparaging comments, the reporter reveals that Nick has died. Bobby's campaign manager Jennifer Barkley jumps on the opportunity and portrays Leslie as someone who only cares about politics, not the memory of Pawnee's leading benefactor. Meanwhile, Tom, Ron, and Donna discover that Newport Campaign had paid off the rental company manager, Bill, to not rent the vans to Leslie's campaign. After their attempts to sway Bill fail, they decide to block his car with Donna's beloved Mercedes. When Bill rams his car into it, she backs into him, with Tom and Ron threatening to tell police it was all Bill's fault unless he gives them the vans. Ben Wyatt decides Leslie should personally express her condolences to Bobby to salvage some positive press, but when the bus pulls up to the Newport estate, it interrupts a memorial service for Nick, further hurting Leslie's image. Leslie manages to speak with Bobby in private, who reveals he only ran for office to get his father's approval, which Leslie relates to by telling a story about trying to win her mother's approval. Bobby is grateful for Leslie's sympathy and gives a speech to reporters (stealing Leslie's story), but tells them about Leslie's kindness and asks voters who are against him to vote for her. A frustrated Jennifer – already worried that she won't get paid with Nick dying – believes Bobby's endorsement of Leslie will win her the election. April Ludgate tells Chris that he shouldn't be lonely because they are his friends, but it does not work; Jennifer then finds Chris and convinces him to have sex with her. Andy eventually solves the pie case: it was meant for Ben, not Leslie, and it was thrown by Joe Fantringham, whom Ben had fired. Andy catches Joe attempting another pie throw, but he forgets to actually stop him and Ben is hit in the face. Quotes Andy: If you are watching, perpetrator, just know that you are still at large. Andy: From now on, we will be using code names. You can address me as Eagle One. Ann, code name -- Been There, Done That. April is -- Currently Doing That. Donna is -- It Happened Once in a Dream; Chris, code name -- If I Had To Pick a Dude. Ben is -- Eagle Two. Ben: Oh thank God. Chris: If I keep my body moving, and my mind occupied at all times, I will avoid falling into a bottomless pit of despair. Tom: He's just playing hard ball. Let me tell you how it's going to go down. In a few minutes, we'll walk in there, we'll give him our demands, and then BAM -- I start crying. Leslie: My official statement is that is, overall, a bummer. Jennifer Barkley: Anything else would be a classless move, on par with spray painting nipples on the Lincoln Memorial. Leslie: We brought a sorry for your loss fruit basket for Bobby. And it is very classy -- no melons and no apples.